S.Korean stocks end higher, but post biggest annual loss since 2008

Air Busan

28/12/2018 07:24

* KOSPI index rises, foreigners buy
    * Korean won rises versus U.S. dollar
    * South Korea bond yields up
    * For the midday report, please click  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL3N1YX03L

    SEOUL, Dec 28 (Reuters) - Round-up of South Korean financial
markets:
    
    ** South Korea's KOSPI stock index  .KS11  closed up on
Friday after Wall Street rebounded for a second day, but ended
the year with its biggest annual loss since 2008, with a 17.3
percent decline. The won and bond yields also rose.
    
    ** The country's financial markets will be closed on Monday
and Tuesday, and will resume trading on Wednesday one hour later
than usual, at 0100 GMT.
    
    ** South Korea's customs agency said on Friday the country's
exports this year exceeded $600 billion to reach a record high
as of today, becoming the seventh country to reach the $600
billion export milestone.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nS6N1YI03Q

    ** The KOSPI closed up 12.60 points or 0.62 percent at
2,041.04.
    
    ** The benchmark index dipped 17.3 percent so far this year,
and by 2.7 percent in the past 30 days. For the week, the KOSPI
index fell nearly 1 percent.
    
    ** Variables to watch out in Jan. 2019 include economic data
from major countries, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell's
comments from the joint discussion with former Fed chairs,
Trump-Powell meeting, U.S.-China trade negotiations, U.S.
political shutdown, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's New Year
address and U.S.-North Korea talks, said Seo Sang-young, an
analyst at Kiwoom Securities.

    ** Hyundai Heavy Industries Holdings Co Ltd  267250.KS  said
on Friday its affiliate Hyundai Oilbank's IPO plan has been
delayed and aims for a listing next year.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL3N1YX1E4
    
    ** Shares of low budget carrier Air Busan Co Ltd
 298690.KS , an affiliate of Asiana Airlines Inc  020560.KS ,
surged more than 20 percent on their second day of trading,
extending sharp gains from its first trading day.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL3N1YW05A
    
    ** The won was quoted at 1,115.7 per dollar on the onshore
settlement platform  KRW=KFTC , 0.39 percent firmer than its
previous close at 1,120.
    
    ** The won tumbled 4.1 percent so far this year, while it
rose by 0.5 percent in the past 30 days. For the week, it was up
0.6 percent.
    
    ** In offshore trading, the won  KRW=  was quoted at
1,114.68 per U.S. dollar, up 0.39 percent from the previous day,
while in one-year non-deliverable forwards  KRWNDFOR=  it was
being transacted at 1,097.15 per dollar.
    
    ** MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside
Japan  .MIAPJ0000PUS  was up 0.83 percent, after U.S. stocks
ended the previous session with mild gains  MKTS/GLOB . Japanese
stocks  .N225  weakened 0.31 percent.
    
    ** The current price-to-earnings ratio is 12.10, the
dividend yield is 1.28 percent and the market capitalisation is
1,242.04 trillion won.
    
    ** The trading volume during the session on the KOSPI index
 .KS11  was 347,842,000 shares and, of the total 897 traded
issues, the number of advancing shares was 577.
    
    ** Foreigners were net buyers of 202,732 million won worth
of shares.
    
    ** The U.S dollar has risen 4.53 percent against the won
this year. The won's high for the year is 1,053.55 per dollar on
April 2 and the low is 1,146.26 on Oct. 11.
    
    ** In money and debt markets, March futures on three-year
treasury bonds  KTBc1  fell 0.03 points to 109.21 from the
previous 109.24.
    
    ** The Korean 3-month Certificate of Deposit benchmark rate
was quoted at 1.92 percent, while the benchmark 3-year Korean
treasury bond yielded 1.819 percent, higher than the previous
day's 1.81 percent.

 (Reporting by Joori Roh; Editing by Sunil Nair)
 ((joori.roh@thomsonreuters.com; +82 2 3704 5642; Reuters
Messaging: joori.roh.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))